Andy Weir's 'The Martian' was a huge hit. And now he's hoping he's not a one-hit wonder.

The northwest corner of his office in Northern California, Andy Weir likes to joke, is the best spot for “cowering and crying,” but the southwest corner gets the better light. So what does Weir have to cry about? He’s a huge success: His novel, “The Martian,” self-released in 2011, scored a publishing...